Washing machine

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a washing machine having an upper washing unit and a lower washing unit. The upper washing unit is connected to the lower washing unit through connection parts protruded upwardly from the upper end of the lower washing unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.2009-0077948, filed on Aug. 24, 2009 in the Korean Intellectual PropertyOffice, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments relate to a washing machine having an upper washing unit anda lower washing unit, which are vertically arranged to perform washing,respectively.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, washing machines are apparatuses, each of which includes atub and a drum, and washes contaminated laundry using water and adetergent. The washing machines include drum washing machines, whichwash laundry by means of the difference in elevation.

A drum washing machine includes a tub installed in a main body tocontain water, a drum rotatably installed in the tub, a water supplydevice to supply water to the tub and the drum, a drain device todischarge used water to the outside of the main body after washing, anda detergent supply device to dissolve a detergent in water in connectionwith the water supply device.

SUMMARY

Therefore, it is one aspect to provide a washing machine having an upperwashing unit and a lower washing unit, vertically arranged, tosimultaneously wash laundry of different types. Each of the upperwashing unit and a lower washing unit includes a tub and a drum suchthat the upper and lower washing units may be independent operated.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description whichfollows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may belearned by practice of the invention.

The foregoing and/or other aspects are achieved by providing a washingmachine including a lower washing unit to perform washing, an upperwashing unit connected to the upper portion of the lower washing unit toperform washing independently of the lower washing unit, and connectionparts extended upwardly from the lower washing unit and connected to theupper washing unit.

The upper washing unit may include an upper housing forming the externalappearance thereof, the lower washing unit may include a lower housingforming the external appearance thereof and frames installed on theupper end of the lower housing, and the connection parts may beintegrally extended upwardly from the frames.

The frames may include seat parts respectively having designated widthsin the lateral direction, on which the upper washing unit is seated, andthe connection parts may be extended from side ends of the frames.

The frames may include a pair of first frames extended in the forwardand backward direction and installed on the upper ends of both sides ofthe lower housing, and the connection parts may include first connectionparts integrally extended from the first frames.

The frames may include a pair of second frames extended in the lateraldirection and provided with both ends installed on the upper ends ofboth sides of the lower housing, and the connection parts may includesecond connection parts integrally extended from the second frames.

The upper washing unit may further include leg parts extended downwardlyand seated on the seat parts, and the connection parts may be connectedto side surfaces of the leg parts.

The washing machine may further include finishing members covering theside surfaces of the leg parts and the connection parts connected toeach other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readilyappreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine in accordance with oneembodiment;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating connection of anupper washing unit and a lower washing unit applied to the washingmachine in accordance with the embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of a connection portion between theupper washing unit and the lower washing unit applied to the washingmachine in accordance with the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments, examples ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

As shown in FIG. 1, a washing machine in accordance with one embodimentincludes an upper washing unit 100 and a lower washing unit 200, whichare independently operated. Among the two washing units 100 and 200, onewashing unit having a relatively high volume may be used as the lowerwashing unit 200, and the other washing unit having a relatively lowvolume may be used as the upper washing unit 100, in consideration ofvibration and stability.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper washing unit 100 includes an upper tub 120installed in an upper housing 110, forming the external appearance ofthe upper washing unit 100, to contain water, an upper drum (not shown)rotatably installed in the upper tub 120 and rotated to wash laundry bythe difference in elevation, and an upper door 130 installed at thefront surface of the upper housing 110 such that a user may put laundryinto the upper drum.

The lower washing unit 200 includes a lower tub 220 installed in a lowerhousing 210, forming the external appearance of the lower washing unit200, to contain water, a lower drum (not shown) rotatably installed inthe lower tub 220 and rotated to wash laundry by the difference inelevation, and a lower door 230 installed at the front surface of thelower housing 210 such that the user may put laundry into the lowerdrum.

In this embodiment, the upper washing unit 100 and the lower washingunit 200 are independently assembled, respectively, and then theassembled upper washing unit 100 is connected to the upper portion ofthe assembled lower washing unit 200, thereby manufacturing the washingmachine.

In order to install the upper washing unit 100 on the upper portion ofthe lower washing unit 200, connection parts 211 a and 212 a extendedupwardly are formed on the lower housing 210. The upper washing unit 100is connected to the upper portion of the lower washing unit 200 throughthe connection parts 211 a and 212 a.

In this embodiment, leg parts 111 extended downwardly from the lowersurface of the upper housing 110 of the upper washing unit 100 areprovided against independent installation of the upper washing unit 100.The upper washing unit 100 and the lower washing unit 200 are connectedby coupling the connection parts 211 a and 212 a to the leg parts 111 bycoupling members, such as bolts. After the upper washing unit 100 isinstalled on the upper surface of the lower washing unit 200 through theleg parts 111 and the connection parts 211 a and 212 a, finishingmembers 300 to cover the leg parts 111 and the connection parts 211 aand 212 a are installed at connection portions between the leg parts 111and the connection parts 211 a and 212 a.

Frames 211 and 212 serves both to reinforce strength of the upper end ofthe lowering housing 210 and to support the upper washing unit 100seated thereon are installed at the upper end of the lower housing 210.The frames 211 and 212 respectively include seat parts 211 b and 212 bhaving designated widths in the lateral direction, on which the legparts 111 of the upper washing unit 100 are seated and supported, andthe connection parts 211 a and 212 a are respectively extended upwardlyfrom side ends of the seat parts 211 b and 212 b. The frames 211 and 212include a pair of first frames 211 extended in the forward and backwarddirections and respectively installed at the upper ends of both sidesurfaces of the lower housing 210, and second frames 212 extended in thelateral direction and respectively provided with both ends_installed atthe upper ends of both side surfaces of the lower housing 210. In thisembodiment, a pair of the second frames 212 is provided and installed onthe lower housing 210 such that the second frames 212 are separated fromeach other in the forward and backward directions.

The connection parts 211 a and 212 a include first connection parts 211a extended integrally from the first frames 211, and second connectionparts 211 b extended integrally from the second frames 212. The seatparts 211 b and 212 b include first seat parts 211 b formed to have adesignated width in the lateral direction on the first frames 211 andprovided with one side end, from which each of the first connectionparts 211 a is extended upwardly, and second seat parts 212 b formed tohave a designated width in the lateral direction on both ends of thesecond frames 212 and provided with both ends, from which the secondconnection parts 212 b are respectively extended upwardly.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the above washing machine inaccordance with the embodiment will be described.

The inner components of the upper washing unit 100, such as the uppertub 120, are installed in the upper housing 110, and the innercomponents of the lower washing unit 200, such as the lower tub 220, areinstalled in the lower housing 210.

Thereafter, the upper washing unit 100 is seated on the lower washingunit 200. Here, the leg parts 111 formed on the upper washing unit 100are seated and supported on the first seat parts 211 b and the secondseat part 212 b formed on the first frames 211 and the second frames212, thereby causing the upper washing unit 100 to be seated on thelower washing unit 200.

In the above state, the first connection parts 211 a and the secondconnection parts 212 a extended upwardly from the first frames 211 andthe second frames 212 are located on the side surfaces of the leg parts111. Therefore, a worker assembling the washing machine connects thefirst connection parts 211 a and the second connection parts 212 a tothe leg parts 111 from the sides of the washing machine, therebyconnecting the upper washing unit 100 and the lower washing unit 200.

The first and second connection parts 211 a and 212 a and the leg parts111 are connected by various methods, such as screw connection orwelding. As shown in FIG. 3, after the connection between the first andsecond connection parts 211 a and 212 a and the leg parts 111 iscompleted, the finishing members 300 are installed on the side surfacesof the first and second connection parts 211 a and 212 a and the legparts 111. Then, the finishing members 300 cover the side surfaces ofthe first and second connection parts 211 a and 212 a and the leg parts111.

Since an operation of connecting the upper washing unit 100 and thelower washing unit 200 may be carried out on the side surfaces of thewashing machine, as described above, the connecting operation may beeasily achieved by the worker.

Although the embodiment illustrates the first connection parts 211 a andthe second connection parts 212 a respectively formed on the firstframes 211 and the second frames 212, the connection parts 211 a and 212a may alternatively be formed on only one of the first frames 211 andthe second frames 212. Further, only one of the first frames 211, onwhich the first connection parts 211 a are formed, and the second frames212, on which the second connection parts 212 a are formed, may beformed on the lower housing 210.

As is apparent from the above description, in a washing machine inaccordance with one embodiment, an upper washing unit is connected to alower washing unit through connection parts protruded upwardly from theupper end of the lower washing unit, and thus an operation of connectingthe upper washing unit and the lower washing unit may be carried outfrom the sides of the washing machine, thereby allowing the washingmachine having the upper and lower washing units to be easilymanufactured.

Although a few embodiments have been shown and described, it would beappreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made inthese embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit ofthe embodiments, the scope of which is defined in the claims and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A washing machine comprising: a lower washingunit to perform washing; an upper washing unit connected to an upperportion of the lower washing unit to perform washing independently ofthe lower washing unit; and at least one connection part extendedupwardly from the lower washing unit and connected to the upper washingunit.
 2. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein the upperwashing unit includes an upper housing forming an external appearance ofthe upper washing unit, the lower washing unit includes a lower housingforming an external appearance of the lower washing unit, and framesinstalled on an upper end of the lower housing, and the at least oneconnection part is integral with and extends upwardly from one of theframes.
 3. The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the framesrespectively include seat parts having designated widths in a lateraldirection, on which the upper washing unit is seated, and the at leastone connection part extends from a side end of one of the frames.
 4. Thewashing machine according to claim 2, wherein the frames include a pairof first frames extending in forward and backward directions of thewashing machine and installed on the upper end at respective sides ofthe lower housing, and the at least one connection part includes a firstconnection part integrally extending from one of the first frames. 5.The washing machine according to claim 2, wherein the frames include apair of second frames extending in a lateral direction of the washingmachine and comprising ends installed on the upper end of the lowerhousing at respective sides of the lower housing, and the at least oneconnection part includes at least one second connection part integralwith and extending from one of the second frames.
 6. The washing machineaccording to claim 3, wherein the upper washing unit further includes atleast one leg part extended downwardly and seated on one of the seatparts, and the at least one connection part is connected to a sidesurface of the leg part.
 7. The washing machine according to claim 6,further comprising at least one finishing member covering the sidesurface of the leg part and the at least one connection part connectedto each other.